The quest to find life other than those present on earth has been going steadily for years. Even though conspiracy theorists consider UFO sightings as proof of alien existence, space experts have dismissed this theory citing a lack of scientific evidence. Considering the vastness of the universe and the presence of earth-like exoplanets, scientists strongly believe that there could be life thriving somewhere else in the cosmos.
If humans succeed in finding alien life outside earth, it could be a gamechanger in space exploration which will open new horizons for life scientists who explore life on earth and beyond. As the search for alien life continues, a team of scientists has developed a molecular tool capable of identifying biosignatures that could help locate extraterrestrials in the distant nooks of the universe.
A universal approach to detect alien life
In the study report published in the journal Nature Communications, scientists describe a universal approach that could be followed to detect alien life in the cosmos. This method includes an advanced system that could be easily flown on a space probe to find life within the solar system, and in the future beyond that.
The study carried out by researchers at the University of Glasgow, in association with experts at the Arizona State University used a new theory called assembly theory to identify molecules as biosignatures.
"Our system is the first falsifiable hypothesis for life detection and is based on the idea that only living systems can produce complex molecules that could not form randomly in any abundance, and this allows us to sidestep the problem of defining life," said Lee Cronin, Regius Professor of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow who led the study.
Molecular Assembly Number
The team created an algorithm that could assign a complexity score to a given molecule, which they call the molecular assembly (MA) number. Researchers noted that large biogenic molecules will have a higher MA number, while the MA will be lower in molecules that are not biogenic.
"The method enables identifying life without the need for any prior knowledge of its biochemistry. It can therefore be used to search for alien life in future NASA missions, and it is informing an entirely new experimental and theoretical approach to finally reveal the nature of what life is in the universe, and how it can emerge from lifeless chemicals," said study co-author Sara Imari Walker, of ASU's School of Earth and Space Exploration in a recent statement.
The team which has already collaborated with NASA revealed that the system works with samples from all over the Earth and extraterrestrial samples. Experts believe that such life-detection tools can be deployed on missions to extraterrestrial locations to detect alien biosignatures or detect the emergence of de novo artificial life in the lab.
